Cheer from mixed pair

Unseeded Peng Soon-Liu Ying beat World No 2 for spot in last eight

MIXED doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying made an impact in the China Open when they defeated World No 2 Xu Chen-Ma Jin to join men’s singles Lee Chong Wei in the quarter-finals in Shanghai yesterday.

Men’s doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong also checked into the quarter-finals when they beat Germany’s Ingo Kindervater-Johannes Schoettler 21-7, 21-16 in the second round.

The unseeded Peng Soon-Liu Ying, ranked World No 9, defeated Xu Chen-Ma Jin 21-14, 11-21, 21-16 in 49 minutes to reach the last eight stage of a premier Super Series event for the first time. They will meet regional rivals Songphon Anugritaywon-Kunchala Vorachitchaikul, who overcame Germany’s Michael Fuchs-Birgit Michels 22-20, 22-20, today.

Chong Wei, still in search of a first China Open crown, thrashed Japan’s Kenichi Tago 21-9, 21-7 in 29 minutes.

The World No 1 will meet another Japanese player Sho Sasaki, who beat Pablo Abian of Spain 21-10, 22-20, in the last eight.

Olympic champion Lin Dan, who ended Chong Wei’s run of 10 consecutive finals when he toppled him in the Hong Kong semis last week, was also through when he beat Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong 21-16, 21-15 in the second round.

Lin Dan will play Jan Jorgensen of Denmark in the last eight. Chong Wei and Lin Dan are set to meet each other in the semi-finals tomorrow.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong will take on bogeymen Ko Sung Hyun-Yoo Yeon Seong of South Korea, who registered a 21-16, 21-11 win over Chen Hung Ling-Lin Yu Lang of Taiwan, today.

Kien Keat-Boon Heong have not beaten Sung Hyun-Yeon Seong in their five previous encounters.